Department for Transport

London City Airport: Security

Will Quince: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of security at London City Airport after the recent protestor security breach.

Mr John Hayes: We keep aviation security under constant review. The Civil Aviation Authority, as regulator, has carried out a full investigation of the incident on 6 September, and will continue to monitor London City Airport’s response to the incident and subsequent investigation. For obvious reasons we would not comment publicly on the details of this response.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many government-owned goods vehicle test stations are based in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland.

Andrew Jones: The number of government-owned (freehold) goods vehicle test stations are as follows;(a) 40 in England (b) 3 in Wales and (c) 12 in Scotland.

Cycling: Disability

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to amend the Cycle to Work scheme to incorporate a higher maximum allowance for disabled cyclists requiring specialist cycles.

Andrew Jones: We are in the process of reviewing the Cycle to Work Scheme guidance published on GOV.UK and are engaging with other Departments, such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), HMRC and HMT to get a firmer view on any possible changes that could be made. As part of this review, we will consider the level of the maximum allowance.

Roads: Midlands

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) status and (b) latest estimated or final cost is of each of the 19 road schemes announced in December 2014 for the Midlands.

Mr John Hayes: The current status of the 19 schemes announced in December 2014 for the Midlands is given in Highways England’s Delivery Plan for 2016-2017, which is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-england-delivery-plan-2016-to-2017 Overall schemes which are under construction are coming in or under budget. For schemes under development we would expect some movement in timescales or costs but overall Highways England is on course to deliver its commitments within the allocated funding.

Cycling: Helmets

Dr Tania Mathias: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of making the wearing of cycle helmets compulsory for cyclists on UK roads.

Andrew Jones: Government policy is that cycle helmets offer a degree of protection for cyclists in the event of a fall from a bicycle and some types of collisions. This is in line with the Highway Code rule 59 which states “you should wear a cycle helmet which conforms to current regulations, is the correct size and securely fastened” We encourage the use of helmets by all cyclists and in particular by children.However, people and parents are free to choose whether to follow this advice and we have no plans to legislate to introduce a mandatory requirement for the wearing of cycle helmets.

London Airports: Railways

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to upgrade the (a) rail and (b) underground connectivity to (i) Heathrow and (ii) Gatwick Airport.

Mr John Hayes: Current investment plans include a number of improvements to rail and underground services to Heathrow and Gatwick Airports. The Elizabeth line will significantly improve links between Heathrow and a number of central London destinations. From May 2018, four trains an hour will run between Paddington and Heathrow Airport replacing the existing 2 train per hour Heathrow Connect service. From December 2019, Elizabeth line trains will run from the airport directly to central London destinations including Bond Street, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf. London Underground is planning new trains and signalling for the Piccadilly line, which serves Heathrow. Work on signalling will begin as early as 2019 and the first new trains will be in service from the early 2020s. The new trains will provide 60% more capacity (the equivalent of up to 21,000 customers per hour). Network Rail is developing a rail link from the Great Western Main Line to London Heathrow Terminal 5. This proposed Western Rail Link to Heathrow will allow passengers to travel directly to the airport from Reading and Slough. Network Rail is expected to seek planning powers for this scheme in 2017. Gatwick airport is benefiting from the investment that is underway through the Thameslink programme which is delivering more frequent services and state of the art new trains on the line between Brighton, Gatwick Airport and London, the first of which entered service earlier this year. By 2018, these trains will start operating on two new direct services connecting Gatwick to Peterborough and Cambridge.

Airports: Demonstrations

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many airside incursions by  protestors there have been since 2015; at which airports those incursions occurred; and what the average delay to flights in minutes was in each such instances.

Mr John Hayes: There have been two airside incursions by protesters since 2015. One at Heathrow and one at London City. The Department does not hold any information on the delay to flights.

Home Office

Immigration: EU Nationals

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many EU citizens resident in the UK are eligible to apply for permanent residency.

Mr Robert Goodwill: EEA nationals who have exercised a Treaty right in the UK, for a continuous period of 5 years, acquire an EU right to reside here permanently. Exercising a Treaty right in the context means that the EEA national must have been a worker, a self employed person, a self sufficient person or a student.Once they have fulfilled the relevant criteria, an EEA national automatically acquires this EU right to reside here permanently. They do not need to apply for documentation confirming this right.

Immigration Controls: Airports

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions the e-gates at UK airports have broken down since 2015.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Protecting the UK border is, and always has been, of paramount importance to this Government. It has never been government practice, for reasons of national security, to comment on operational issues relating to border security.

Care Homes: Lambeth

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what past roles her Department has had in (a) appointing superintendents of children's homes and (b) the inspection of such homes in the London Borough of Lambeth.

Sarah Newton: Holding answer received on 12 October 2016



Prior to 1971, when policy and operational responsibility for children was transferred under machinery of Government changes to the then Department for Health and Social Security (DHSS), the Home Office included a Children’s Department. The Children’s Department had responsibilities for reformatory and industrial schools, remand homes and approved schools. It also had responsibility for supervising local authority and voluntary provision for children.Indexes of material held at The National Archives suggest that the Children’s Department did not appoint superintendents or heads of individual children’s homes as a part of its core business. It did however have an Inspectorate, which operated nationally.

Refugees: Syria

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of changes to the funding of English for speakers of other languages services on the ability of local authorities to provide access to English language classes to resettled Syrian refugees.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Learning English is a key factor in integration and is vital for gaining access to the employment market. Our experience is that most Syrians resettled under the programme are keen to learn English.English language tuition is already provided as part of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme (VPRS) and will be available for adults entering the UK under the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement scheme (VCRS). The recently announced additional £10 million of funding will increase the amount of training available for Syrian refugees resettled in the UK.We will be working with local authorities to ensure that the funding is taken up in the most effective way, including providing funding for regional English Speakers of other languages (ESOL) co-ordinators to promote best practice, map provision, support authorities to commission services and coordinate volunteers. Many people across the country have also offered their time and support to help refugees improve English and integrate better into their community.

Refugees: Syria

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to provide additional financial assistance to local authorities to help support resettled Syrian refugees who have physical and mental health needs.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government has made available significant funding to support Syrians with physical and mental health needs who are resettled in the UK under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.In the first year after arrival in the UK, each individual attracts a standard tariff for healthcare costs and additional funding is in place to cover the costs of exceptional medical cases during that period. This is a substantial level of funding which will enable local authorities to support these vulnerable people as they rebuild their lives in safe and secure surroundings, among supportive communities in the UK.

Deportation

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been deported to (a) India, (b) Pakistan, (c) China, (d) Nigeria, (e) Uganda and (f) Iran in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The term 'deportations' refers to a legal definition of a specific set of returns. Deportations are a specific subset of returns which are enforced either following a criminal conviction or when it is judged that a person’s removal from the UK is conducive to the public good. The deportation order prohibits the person returning to the UK until such time as it may be revoked.Published information on those deported is not separately available. As such, the question has been interpreted as referring to enforced returns. In an enforced return, it has been established that a person has breached UK immigration laws and / or has no valid leave to remain in the UK. They have declined to leave voluntarily and the Home Office enforces their departure from the UK.Statistics on persons returned from the UK is published in the Home Office’s Immigration Statistics. The latest edition, Immigration Statistics: April to June 2016 is available from GOV.UK on the statistics web pages at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release.

Immigrants: Employment

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of employer enquiries to the Employer Checking Service resulted in a response confirming that the subject of the enquiry had the right to work in each of the last five years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The proportion of checks to the Employer Checking Service resulting in a response confirming that the subject of the enquiry had the right to work, by calendar year are as below:  2011 41.2% 2012 43.8% 2013 51.1% 2014 56.6% 2015 61.4%

Labour Market: Engineering

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how frequently her Department reviews engineering jobs on the occupational shortage list to prevent over supply.

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure the accuracy of labour shortages reported by employers before adding professions to the occupational shortage list.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) reviews the Shortage Occupation List when commissioned to do so by the Government.The MAC is an independent advisory body consisting of expert labour market economists. It has a clear, published methodology for assessing whether occupations are skilled, in shortage, and whether it is sensible to address those shortages in part through migration, based on a variety of indicators and using national “top down” data as well as “bottom up” evidence from employers.The MAC has carried out two full reviews and three partial reviews of the Shortage Occupation List since May 2010. Further information about the MAC’s methodology and the reviews it has carried out are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/migration-advisory-committee

Refugees: Syria

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether special case funding to meet exceptional needs costs of resettled Syrian refugees beyond their first year of resettlement in the UK will be included as part of the UK's Official Development Assistance contributions.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Official Development Assistance (ODA) can only be used to meet the first year post-arrival costs of each refugee, as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) rules do not permit usage past the first year.We do though have an additional exceptional needs sum of money, available from our years 2 to 5 funding, amounting to 15% of the total funding available each year.

Asylum

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to maintain the use of the Dublin System in the event of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The British people have voted to leave the European Union and the Prime Minister has been clear that their will must be respected and delivered.The question of how the UK deals with asylum applicants arriving in the UK from EU Member States and shares information with the EU and international partners will be a key consideration as part of the process of leaving the EU and establishing a new relationship.

Assisted Voluntary Return Schemes

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to maintain the Assisted Voluntary Returns schemes after 2020.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Assisted Voluntary Returns Service was integrated into the Home Office Voluntary Returns Service (VRS) on 1st January 2016 and provides a range of help and support to those who are here illegally and are seeking to leave the UK voluntarily. The Home Office envisages that the VRS will continue beyond 2020.

Frontex

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans continued participation in Frontex after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The European Border and Coast Guard was launched on 6 October, building on and replacing Frontex. The new Agency builds on provisions of the Schengen agreement in which the UK does not participate. The UK is not therefore bound by the new regulation although we are supportive of steps to increase the security of the external Schengen border and currently participate in Frontex operations on a voluntary basis, agreed by the Management Board.Our future cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency will be considered as part of wider negotiations for the UK’s exit from the EU. The Prime Minister has made clear that the Government will not be giving a running commentary on negotiations.

Fire and Rescue Services

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average Fire and Rescue response times were to incidents in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) Redcar and Cleveland and (d) Middlesbrough in each of the last five years.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Housing

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has carried out a (a) policy equality statement, (b) equality impact assessment or (c) any equality monitoring on its contracts with Compass to provide accommodation to asylum seekers since those contracts were signed in 2012.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office is currently considering any equality impacts as part of the wider considerations as to whether to extend the asylum support and accommodation contracts for the period from 2017-19.The Home Office takes its equality duty seriously and engages regularly with Non-Governmental Organisations and its contractors to ensure that support and accommodation for asylum seekers meets the needs of individual service users.

Immigrants: Detainees

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much compensation her Department paid for the unlawful detention of individuals under immigration powers in each of the last three financial years; for what categories of reason such compensation was paid; and how many such payments were made for each such category of reason.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Company Accounts: Climate Change

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Financial Reporting Council on ensuring that companies follow the law when reporting on climate risk.

Margot James: The law requires company directors to consider, amongst other matters, the impact of their business on the environment. The Annual report is where the directors must demonstrate their consideration of this in the disclosures they make, both on environmental matters and risks. The Financial Reporting Council, operating under delegated powers from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, ensures legislation on the content of the annual report is adhered to by companies required to produce one.

Electricity Generation

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the amount of distribution-connected plants that might close in the event of a significant change to rules governing the payment of embedded benefits, including the triads benefit.

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of changes to the rules governing payment of embedded benefits on participation in the forthcoming capacity market auctions; and what assessment he has made of the effect of those changes in the cost to the consumer.

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the value of distribution-connected generation to the (a) UK energy system as a whole and (b) security of supply.

Jesse Norman: Ofgem is responsible for network charging in its role as the independent regulator. It is currently reviewing the rules governing the payment of embedded benefits. As part of its review, Ofgem will assess the full implications of any proposed changes on those that would be affected.

Minimum Wage

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Correction of 8 September 2016 to the Answer of 1 June 2016 to Question 38139, how much of the £10.3 million of minimum wage arrears recovered in 2015-16 was recovered from the 814 employers who were issued with both a Notice of Underpayment and a financial penalty; and how many workers were identified as having been underpaid by those 814 employers.

Margot James: Further to the response to PQ 38139, HM Revenue & Custom’s updated enforcement data for 2015/16 shows that 815 employers were issued a Notice of Underpayment and paid a financial penalty for failing to pay the National Minimum Wage. These employers collectively owed £8,157,919 in arrears to 43,995 workers.

Carbon Emissions

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish the next Carbon Plan.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Carbon Plan will outline policies that ensure that the UK meets the emissions limit in the fourth carbon budget of a 50 per cent reduction in annual emissions on 1990 levels.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Carbon Plan will outline policies that ensure that the UK meets the emissions limit in the fifth carbon budget of a 57 per cent reduction in annual emissions on 1990 levels.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with other government departments on the forthcoming Carbon Plan.

Mr Nick Hurd: We are engaging with a wide range of stakeholders and other government departments in order to meet the shared challenge of moving to a low carbon economy. The Emissions Reduction Plan will set out how we will meet our carbon budgets through the 2020s (the period covering the fourth and fifth carbon budgets).

Self-employed

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department will implement the recommendations of the Deane Review into Self-Employment, published in February 2016.

Margot James: The Government is considering all the recommendations made in Julie Deane’s independent review of self-employment and will respond in due course.

Climate Change Convention

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government plans to begin the ratification process of the December 2015 Paris Agreement.

Mr Nick Hurd: An explanatory memorandum initiating the UK’s domestic approval of the Agreement was laid on 7th October 2016 with a view to completing the domestic procedures that will enable ratification before the end of the year.

UK Trade with EU

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he or his officials have had with UK businesses on the consequences on them of leaving the EU Customs Union.

Margot James: My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and his officials have on-going discussions with businesses operating in multiple sectors to understand their views on a range of issues following the referendum.

Research: North East

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on research funding across all disciplines in universities in the North East.

Joseph Johnson: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

UK Trade with EU

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of leaving the EU Customs Union on (a) businesses and (b) complex supply chains.

Margot James: The Department is currently working closely with the Department for Exiting the EU to understand the impacts that withdrawal from the EU will have on businesses, consumers and other economic actors. As my Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister has said we will work hard to get the best deal for Britain.

Research: North East

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on science research funding in the North East.

Joseph Johnson: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

UK Trade with EU

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the costs to UK businesses of being outside the common external tariff of the EU.

Margot James: The Department is currently working closely with the Department for Exiting the EU to understand the impacts that withdrawal from the EU will have on businesses, consumers and other economic actors. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has said we will work hard to get the best deal for Britain.

Unemployment: North East

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on levels of unemployment in the North East of (a) the outcome of the EU referendum, (b) the UK leaving the EU in the (i) short-term and (ii) long-term.

Margot James: The Department is currently working closely with the Department for Exiting the EU to understand the impacts that withdrawal from the EU will have on businesses, consumers and other economic actors. Due to the decisions this Government has taken, the British economy is fundamentally strong and we are well-positioned to negotiate our departure from the EU. Employment in the UK is at a record high. There are 68,000 more people in employment in the North East compared with 2010 and 23,000 fewer people unemployed.

Iron and Steel

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what change there has been in the UK's share of global steel output over the last five years.

Mr Nick Hurd: YearCrude steel production (thousand tonnes)UK share of global crude steel productionGlobalUK20111,538,0039,4780.62%20121,560,1319,5790.61%20131,650,35411,8580.72%20141,670,14512,1200.73%20151,620,90010,8600.67% Source: World Steel Association Statistics Notes: 1 – The figures above show the production of crude steel and cover all qualities made (carbon, stainless, other alloy). 2 – Data for global production of crude steel in 2015 is provisional. Figures for global production are subject to revision.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Gibraltar: Territorial Waters

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to article 3 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea's classification for the breadth of the territorial seas not exceeding 12 nautical miles, for what reason Gibraltar has a three nautical mile limit on its territorial waters.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​The 1987 Territorial Sea Act extended UK waters up to the 12 nautical miles maximum permitted by Article 3 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS). However, the provisions of this Act were not extended to the British Overseas Territories, so the United Kingdom’s claim to territorial waters remains up to 3 nautical miles from Gibraltar. Where the extent of territorial waters is less than 3 nautical miles, this is due to the proximity of the Spanish coastline and a determined median line. We retain the option to extend the reach of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters to the maximum extent of 12 nautical miles permitted under UNCLOS and keep this option under review. The United Kingdom is the only State entitled to a territorial claim over the 3-12 nautical mile zone in respect of Gibraltar.

Saudi Arabia: Capital Punishment

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the cases of (a) Ali al Nimr, (b) Dawoud al Marhoon and (c) Abdullah al Zaher who were sentenced to death as children for participating in political protests in Saudi Arabia.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We remain concerned about the cases of Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdallah al-Zaher and continue to follow them closely. We most recently got assurances on 7 September and our expectation remains that they will not be executed. Our Embassy in Riyadh also frequently raise our concerns and will continue to do so.

Islamic State: Genocide

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 12 September 2016 to Questions 45151 and 45154, on Iraq: Genocide, whether the character and scope of the campaign to hold Daesh to account for its crimes have been established; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: ​Over the next few months, we will be working with our international partners, in particular the Government of Iraq, to bring forward a proposal at the UN to put the campaign into action. Our intention is that this campaign will be UN-led with survivors, and groups that work with them, at its heart. This must be about justice for all Daesh's victims, the Sunni and Shia Muslims in Iraq and Syria, minority groups they have targeted, and the victims of its terrorist attacks around the world. One area we already agree needs urgent attention is gathering and preserving evidence. The campaign will focus exclusively on Daesh. The question of accountability for other actors in Syria, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere should continue to be pursued through other efforts. Success will require patience and resolve. But, together, we must see justice done and ensure that our values of unity, compassion and tolerance triumph over Daesh's remorseless efforts to stoke division and hate.

Yemen: Military Aircraft

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will (a) carry out its own assessment and (b) support an independent international inquiry into whether the airstrike on a community hall in Sana'a, where a funeral was taking place, on 8 October 2016, breached international humanitarian law.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Coalition has announced it will immediately investigate this case along with Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT). The UK Government does not reach a conclusion as to whether or not an International Humanitarian Law violation has taken place in relation to each and every incident of potential concern that comes to its attention. This would simply not be possible in conflicts to which the UK is not a party, as is the case in Yemen. However, as I said in my statement of 9 October, we will press the coalition to release their report into this incident as a matter of urgency.

British Nationals Abroad: Convictions

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which convictions of UK citizens in foreign countries the UK is currently challenging; and what guidance his Department follows in deciding which convictions of UK citizens in overseas courts to challenge.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: ​The British Government does not interfere in the legal systems of other countries by challenging convictions, any more than we would accept interference in our judicial system. We do, however, lobby strongly and consistently against the application of the death penalty, and against the carrying out of such sentences when they are imposed. We always lobby, where apt, to ensure the rule of law for fair trials.

Libya: Compensation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with officials from (a) the EU and (b) the UN on obtaining compensation for UK victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK Government takes the needs of UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored terrorism very seriously and is sympathetic to their attempts to seek redress. We have raised this with the Libyan authorities, making it clear that resolution remains a priority for us, though current instability has delayed progress on this issue. The UK Government is not currently involved in negotiations on securing compensation payments with the EU or UN, though the FCO does provide facilitation support to campaign groups, where it has been requested. The EU and UN have made clear that when sanctions are lifted, frozen assets must be made available to and for the benefit of the people of Libya.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterparts on war crimes allegedly carried out by Russia and Syria; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We discuss the situation in Syria regularly with international counterparts, and these discussions often cover allegations of atrocities being committed in Syria. These were raised most recently in the UN Security Council on Saturday 8 October, when Russia vetoed the proposed UNSC resolution calling for an end to the bombardment of Aleppo. As the Foreign Secretary my right hon. Friend the member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) has said, including in the House of Commons on 11 October, deliberate targeting of civilians or humanitarian personnel would be a war crime. The attack on a UN aid convoy near Aleppo on 19 September was a clear violation of the most basic of humanitarian principles. Russia appears to be partnering with the Syrian regime in the attacks on Aleppo which are causing large numbers of civilian casualties. It is crucial that these incidents are properly investigated.

UK Withdrawal from EU

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has commissioned any studies in 2016 from (a) LSE, (b) UCL, (c) King's College London, (d) University of Cambridge and (e) University of Oxford on the UK leaving the EU.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office ( FCO) has not commissioned any studies from University College London, King's College London, the University of Cambridge or the University of Oxford on leaving the EU. The London School of Economics provided the FCO with some notes on European issues on a pro-bono basis at the end of September.

St Lucia: Diplomatic Service

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the new high commissioner for St Lucia will be accredited to the Court of St James.

Sir Alan Duncan: The request is proceeding in line with normal procedures. We will respond to the St Lucia High Commission when the process is completed.

Asia Bibi

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make urgent representations to the Pakistani government on the case of Asia Bibi.

Alok Sharma: I remain concerned about Ms Asia Bibi ahead of her Supreme Court hearing due this week. We raise regularly our concerns about misuse of the blasphemy laws with the Pakistani Government, and continue to urge Pakistan to adhere to its international obligations and uphold the rule of law. During his visit to Pakistan in March, the former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), made clear our concerns about minority communities and misuse of the blasphemy laws. The UK supported the EU statement of October 2014 following the decision of the Lahore High Court to uphold the conviction of Ms Bibi. We will continue to work with our EU and other international partners to ensure our views are made clear to the Pakistani authorities.

Kenya: Al Shabaab

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Kenyan government on the attack of 6 October 2016 carried out by Al-Shabaab militants in Mandera County.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK government condemns the tragic loss of life during the Al Shabaab terrorist attack in Mandera, Kenya on 6 October. We have expressed our regret to the Kenyan authorities. The UK and Kenya have a shared interest in tackling terrorism, and we are committed to supporting the Government of Kenya and building capacity to counter this shared threat.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Staff

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to his Oral Statement of 5 September 2016, Official Report, columns 38 to 41, how many of his Department's 300 officials were recruited for their ability to speak a second language.

Mr Robin Walker: The Department for Exiting the EU now has over 200 staff, and is growing fast. The overall size and scope of the new Department, including staffing and budget, are regularly reviewed. We will ensure we are appropriately staffed to deal with all aspects of the forthcoming negotiation. There are currently 43 (French) speaker slots in UKRep, for which the staff require operational language skills to undertake the post. For the wider Department there are a number of staff with language skills, however these are not currently a requirement of the posts and were not the determining factor in recruitment. We are undertaking work to identify the skills required for the future so this position may change in due course.

Property: EU Countries

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps the Government plans to take to protect the property ownership rights of UK citizens who own property in the EU after the UK has left the EU who (a) use the property primarily to rent out to others for holidays, (b) are the sole users, for holiday purposes and (c) are the sole users, and live there permanently.

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps the Government is taking to enable UK citizens living in other EU countries to remain there if they (a) have retired, (b) are working in those countries with habitual residence status and (c) are working in those countries part of the time but without habitual residence status.

Mr Robin Walker: At every step of these negotiations we will work to ensure the best possible outcome for the British people, including those living in other EU countries or who own property in the EU. It is already the case that all Member States are bound by Article 1 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights which obliges them to respect property rights.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Secondment

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the staffing costs are of the secondees to his Department from elsewhere in the Civil Service.

Mr Robin Walker: The term 'secondment' to refer to an interchange of staff between the Civil Service and an external organisation as such we have not brought any secondees into the Department from elsewhere in the Civil Service. All joiners from other Government departments have been on a loan basis, which refers to an interchange of staff between Civil Service departments or Agencies. The Department’s budget will be set out to the House of Commons and approved as part of the Supplementary Estimates in the new year, as is standard practice.

UK Withdrawal from EU

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what estimate he has made of the cost of negotiations with the EU in the two years after Article 50 is invoked.

Mr Robin Walker: Detailed work is underway to establish the budget required to fulfil the department’s responsibilities over the period of the Spending Review. The budget will be set out to the House of Commons and approved as part of the Supplementary Estimates in the new year, as is standard practice.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Staff

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what he expects the total staffing costs of his Department to be in each of the next three years.

Mr Robin Walker: Detailed work is underway to establish the staff budget required to fulfil the Department’s responsibilities over the period of the Spending Review. The budget of the Department will be set out to the House of Commons and approved as part of the Supplementary Estimates in the new year, as is standard practice.

Manufacturing Industries: North East

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what meetings he has had with manufacturers in the North East on the (a) immediate effect of the outcome of the EU referendum and (b) short- and long-term effect of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr David Jones: We are determined to hear from all sectors as we work to build a national consensus around our negotiating position. As part of this we will listen and talk to as many organisations, companies and institutions as possible - all over the country - alongside a series of roundtables with key sectors. This will ensure that all views and specific regional considerations are reflected in our analysis of the options for the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.

UK Trade with EU

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment his Department has made of the costs and benefits to the UK of leaving the EU Customs Union; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker: We are confident that we will secure a successful outcome and deliver the best deal for Britain in the upcoming negotiations. The relationship we build with the EU will be bespoke to the UK. There are of course a number of different models for EU trade relations from which we can learn. We understand the advantages and disadvantages of those models, and are analysing closely the impact which adopting them would have on the UK economy and UK trade.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Staff

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2016 to Question 45944, on Department for Exiting the European Union: Staff, how many offers of pro bono support from consultancy firms his Department has  (a) been offered and (b) taken up.

Mr Robin Walker: The Department for Exiting the European Union has received a significant number of offers of support from individuals and businesses. To date, the department has utilised the services of seven consultancy firms on a pro bono or nominal (£1) basis.

European Arrest Warrants

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether it is the Government's policy to remain part of the European Arrest Warrant.

Mr David Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 September 2016 to the Question 45271.We are leaving the EU but cooperation on security with our European and global allies will be maintained. We will do what is necessary to keep our people safe - our aim will be to continue cooperation where it is in the national interest to protect the public. We are about to begin these negotiations and it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions in advance.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he has had any discussions with officials from the automotive industry on levels of future investment in the UK.

Mr David Jones: Ministers across the Government are engaging with multiple sectors as we shape our negotiating strategy. Our automotive sector is very successful and we are determined to protect its interests.

EU Institutions: Location

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many jobs in the UK would be at risk if the (a) European Medicines Agency and (b) European Banking Authority relocated out of the UK.

Mr David Jones: No decisions have yet been made about the future of the European Medicines Agency or the European Banking Authority. The position of individual staff in the EU institutions will depend on their particular situation and will be determined at the appropriate time. We are clear on the need to get the best deal possible for the UK and its citizens in the negotiations with the EU.

Higher Education: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions the Government has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on the future of higher education research funding in Scotland after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: There is no immediate change to the rights of UK universities and their students and staff from EU countries. UK researchers can still apply for Horizon 2020 projects. The Treasury will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. The Prime Minister has made it very clear that it will take time for the UK government to agree its position for the negotiations. As part of this, the government will of course want to engage fully with the devolved administrations and listen to their views.

UK Trade with EU: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions the Government has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on access for Scottish businesses to the single market after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr David Jones: The Prime Minister has committed to full engagement with the Devolved Administrations to get the best possible deal for all parts of our United Kingdom as we leave the EU. The Secretary of State for Exiting the EU has spoken with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon about developing a UK approach for EU exit. He has also met with Michael Russell, the Scottish Government Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe, to discuss the work of the Department for Exiting the EU. We will give the Devolved Administrations every opportunity to have their say as we form our negotiating strategy and we will look at any suggestions that they put forward.

Erasmus+ Programme: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions the Government has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on future access for Scottish students to the Erasmus Plus Scheme after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: There is no change to those currently participating in, or about to start, Erasmus+ exchanges. The Prime Minister has made it very clear that it will take time for the UK government to agree its position for the negotiations. As part of this, the government will of course want to engage fully with the devolved administrations and listen to their views.

Members: Correspondence

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield of 16 August 2016, inviting him or a Minister in his Department to address the All-Party Parliamentary Motor Group on UK automotive priorities for future negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: A reply to the Hon. member for Birmingham, Northfield's invitation has been sent and I can confirm I will be attending the event.

Attorney General

Hunting Act 2004

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Attorney General, how many people were (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of offences under the Hunting Act 2004 in 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Buckland: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged with, and prosecuted for, offences brought by way of the Hunting Act 2004. This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost. Although it is not possible to identify the number of people charged with particular offences, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged by way of the Hunting Act 2004 during 2015. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence. 2015Hunting Act 200488Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Attorney General, how many people were (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of offences under the Wild Animals (Protection) Act 1996 in 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Buckland: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged with, and prosecuted for, offences brought by way of the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996. This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost. Although it is not possible to identify the number of people charged with particular offences, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged by way of the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 during 2015. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence. 2015Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 19961Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

Badgers Act 1991

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Attorney General, how many people were (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of offences under the Badgers Act 1991 in 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Buckland: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged with, and prosecuted for, offences brought by way of the Protection of Badgers Act 1991. This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost. Although it is not possible to identify the number of people charged with particular offences, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged by way of the Protection of Badgers Act 1991 during 2015. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence. 2015Protection of Badgers Act 199212Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

Deer Act 1991

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Attorney General, how many people were (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of offences under the Deer Act 1991 in 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Buckland: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged with, and prosecuted for, offences brought by way of the Deer Act 1991. This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost. Although it is not possible to identify the number of people charged with particular offences, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts. The table below shows the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged by way of the Deer Act 1991 during 2015. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence. 2015Deer Act 199120Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System

Department for International Development

Department for International Development: Reviews

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when her Department plans to publish its Civil Society Review.

Rory Stewart: The Government intends to publish the outcome of the Civil Society Partnership Review shortly.

Developing Countries: Renewable Energy

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department has taken to increase investment in decentralised renewable energy.

James Wharton: The UK Government is playing a leading role in improving energy access in developing countries. DFID has a range of programmes which are working with developing countries to ensure renewable energy markets work effectively as well as supporting energy businesses to grow, and providing consumers with access to funding to buy solar goods. For example, our Energy Access Ventures programme is investing in off-grid electric and we are delivering green mini-grid solutions across Africa.Through the UK Government’s Energy Africa campaign we are working with solar firms to help them access the finance they need to expand their businesses, create jobs and help reach millions of people in Africa without electricity access.

Iraq: Armed Conflict

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the UK will take to safeguard children and other civilians in any assault on IS in Mosul; what steps she will take to put in place safe routes out for children and families; and if she will ensure that screening procedures take care not to separate families.

Rory Stewart: On 21 September, the UK announced an extra £40 million of humanitarian funding to Iraq, taking our total commitment to £90 million this financial year and £169.5 million since June 2014. This new assistance will be targeted specifically to enable a scale up of humanitarian assistance ahead of the Government of Iraq-led Mosul operations. It will include support to efforts aimed at ensuring the protection of civilians, including children.The UK will continue to lobby all parties to adhere to International Humanitarian Law and for screening to take place in a transparent manner, under a fully accountable chain of command, and to be monitored independently by the UN and other neutral and impartial humanitarian actors.

Overseas Aid: Fraud

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2016 to Question 46379, how many instances of fraud have been identified by her Department's Counter Fraud Section in relation to UK aid spending in each of the last three years; and in which areas of her Department's spending such instances occurred.

Rory Stewart: The counter fraud section of DFID’s Internal Audit Department is responsible for managing all internal and external referrals on crime, corruption and fraud. The majority of reports are raised through our confidential hotline or through our dedicated e-mail account. Both of these access points are clearly referenced on DFID’s external website.Our case numbers have increased in recent years. We believe this is as a result of the proactive approach we have taken on fraud awareness and counter fraud activities. Our staff and partners are now much clearer on the action to be taken to report concerns as soon as they arise.In FY13-14 there were 6 cases of proven fraud across 4 of our central departments. There were 51 cases of proven fraud across 18 of our country offices.In FY14-15 there were 33 cases of proven fraud across 9 of our central departments. There were 39 cases of proven fraud across 17 of our country offices.In FY15-16 there were 28 cases of proven fraud across 11 of our central departments. There were 60 cases of proven fraud across 20 of our country offices.

Department for Education

Apprentices: Taxation

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of the flexibility of the scheme of the CBI's proposal to delay implementation of the apprenticeship levy.

Robert Halfon: We understand that some organisations want to delay or scrap the levy, but any delay would mean holding back opportunities for people and businesses to gain the skills they need. We are working with the CBI, employers and training providers to make sure the new system works for them. In August we published proposals for how apprenticeships will be paid for in England in the future and invited feedback on these. Following thorough analysis we will publish final details at the end of October.

Further Education: Sussex

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Sussex Area Review of post-16 education and training is planned to be published.

Robert Halfon: As confirmed in the Area Review Guidance published in March 2016, we will publish the area review reports once each review has completed. We expect to publish the Sussex area review report in the near future.

GCSE

Mr Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children obtained five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C including English and mathematics in (a) selective, (b) partially selective and (c) comprehensive local authority areas in the last year for which data is available; and what that proportion was by ethnic group in each of those categories.

Nick Gibb: The table below shows the number and percentage of pupils achieving five A* to C grade GCSEs including English and mathematics by ethnicity, for areas with different selection policies.Pupils at state funded schools at the end of key stage 4 2015EthnicityNumber of pupilsPercentage of pupils achieving 5A*-C grade GCSEs including English and mathematicsFully selective areas1White39,19058.7Mixed1,97666.4Asian3,35875Black1,66562.6Chinese26885.8Any other ethnic group38770.8Unclassified41466.2All pupils47,25860.6Pupils at state funded schools at the end of key stage 4 2015EthnicityNumber of pupilsPercentage of pupils achieving 5A*-C grade GCSEs including English and mathematicsPartially selective areas2White98,60058.2Mixed5,10158.5Asian12,85762.4Black4,99250.2Chinese48881.4Any other ethnic group1,72757.2Unclassified1,19757All pupils124,96258.4Pupils at state funded schools at the end of key stage 4 2015EthnicityNumber of pupilsPercentage of pupils achieving 5A*-C grade GCSEs including English and mathematicsNon-selective areasWhite299,49056.4Mixed15,33257.2Asian32,57860.3Black20,28152.4Chinese1,26475.6Any other ethnic group5,33659.2Unclassified4,25349.9All pupils378,53456.6Source: key stage 4 attainment data: finalNotes: 1. Includes schools in the following areas which operate area wide arrangements for academic selection: Bexley, Buckinghamshire, Kent, Lincolnshire, Medway, Slough, Southend, Sutton, Torbay and Trafford.2. Includes schools in twenty-six local authorities that have selective schools operating their own arrangements for academic selection.

Sex and Relationship Education

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department's guidance on sex and relationships education will be revised.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to include in the proposed Education for All Bill a contractual obligation on schools to provide sex and relationships education.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Ofsted on sex and relationships education.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to make sex and relationships education compulsory in all schools.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to provide additional resources to local authorities or schools for sex and relationships education.

Edward Timpson: We want schools to provide all young people with a curriculum that equips them for success in adult life. High-quality sex and relationship education (SRE) and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education have a vital role to play in this. SRE is compulsory in maintained secondary schools. Academies and free schools do not have to teach SRE, but many choose to do so as part of their statutory duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum. When teaching SRE, all schools, including academies through their funding agreement, must have regard to the Secretary of State's Sex and Relationship Education guidance. The existing SRE guidance was last updated in 2000. We have received requests about updating the guidance which we will consider carefully. Schools and teachers have the freedom to design lessons that meet their pupils’ needs, taking account of pupil and parent views. Teachers are encouraged to develop their practice with the support of specialist organisations and expert professionals. Many of these specialist organisations have produced resources that can be used and adapted by schools. We hold regular meetings with Ofsted about a range of matters. As the Secretary of State said at the Education Select Committee hearing in September 2016, we need to look again at how schools deliver high-quality PSHE, including SRE. We are considering all the options, including the need for any statutory powers, and will come to a view soon.

GCSE

Mr Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children achieved (a) five A* to C grade GCSEs including English and mathematics and (b) two or more A grades at A-level nationally; and what proportion of children achieved such grades in (i) selective, (ii) partially selective and (iii) comprehensive local education authority areas in the most recent year for which data is available.

Nick Gibb: The proportion of students achieving two or more A grades at A level is not available.The table below shows the number and percentage of pupils achieving five A* to C grade GCSEs including English and mathematics and the number and percentage of pupils achieving three or more A grades at A level for areas with different selection policies. GCSE and equivalents A level Pupils at state funded schools at the end of key stage 4 2014/2015Percentage of pupils achieving five A*-C grade GCSEs including English and mathematics Students at the end of advance level study at state funded schools entered for at least one A level or applied single/double award A level 2014/15Percentage of students achieving three or more A grades at A level or applied single/double level awardFully selective areas147,25860.6 20,08514.0Partially selective areas2124,96258.4 41,73712.4Non-selective areas378,53456.6 96,6198.1Source: KS4 & KS5 attainment data 2014/2015: finalNotes: 1. Includes schools in the following areas which operate area wide arrangements for academic selection: Bexley, Buckinghamshire, Kent, Lincolnshire, Medway, Slough, Southend, Sutton, Torbay and Trafford.2. Includes schools in twenty-six local authorities that have selective schools operating their own arrangements for academic selection.

GCSE

Mr Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children in (a) England and (b) Northern Ireland achieved five A* to C grade GCSEs including English and mathematics in the last five years for which data is available.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not available. The number of pupils achieving the individual subject components of the English Baccalaureate is available from the 'Revised GCSE and equivalent results in England: 2014 to 2015' statistical first release[1]. This refers to 2015 revised data. The Department for Education produces statistics on England only. The responsibility for education statistics in Northern Ireland lies with Northern Irish devolved administration. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2014-to-2015 (Table 1b)

Special Educational Needs

Marie Rimmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review the implementation of new SEND system by local authorities; and what assessment she has made of how transitional funding is being used in each area to benefit children with (a) autism and (b) other special educational needs.

Marie Rimmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of how effectively the new system for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities is meeting the needs of children and young people on the autism spectrum; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: The Department is monitoring implementation of the reforms and transition to the new system closely. Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission began inspecting local area effectiveness in meeting their special educational needs and disability (SEND) duties in May. All areas will be inspected over a five year period and the findings published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-area-send-inspection-outcome-letters The Department also draws on a wide range of research, surveys and data as well as feedback from our professional SEND Advisers and funded voluntary sector organisations. The Department has issued £113million in funding between 2014-15 and 2016-17 through the SEND Implementation Grant to support local authorities to carry out the SEND reforms. It is the responsibility of local authorities to make best use of this funding to support them to fulfill their duties. The Department has also funded the Autism Education Trust (£650,000 in 2016-17) to deliver autism training to education professionals in England. The Trust has trained more than 100,000 education staff since 2012. The training offered by the Autism Education Trust incorporates the learning from previous work by Ambitious about Autism on strategies for supporting transition from school to college, and the contract also covers a service provided by the National Autistic Society that provides information and advice to parents and professionals on exclusions. The Department has not made an assessment of how the new system of support for children with SEND is meeting the needs of those with autism in particular. However, there have been a number of significant changes to the SEND system which particularly benefit children and young people with autism. This includes the publication of ‘local offers’ of SEND services by local authorities, the introduction of streamlined education, health and care needs assessments and plans, and new statutory protections for young people aged 16-25 in further education. Under the Department’s Free Schools programme, there are now nineteen special free schools open across England, including several that are specifically for children with Autism, such as the Rise free school in Hounslow, the Lighthouse free school in Leeds and the National Autistic Society’s Church Lawton free school in Cheshire. There are a further fourteen special free schools due to open in the future, seven of which will specialise in provision for children with autism, including the Heartlands Autism free school in Haringey and a second National Autistic Society free school, the Vanguard free school in Lambeth. Several of the other schools will offer some places for children with autism.

Schools: Finance

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the new National Funding Formula for schools will be introduced.

Nick Gibb: In July, the Secretary of State committed to introduce national funding formulae for schools and high needs from the financial year 2018-19. We will set out detailed proposals later in the autumn, and make decisions early next year, for the new system to be in place from April 2018.

Apprentices

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she has made to the Prime Minister on the Apprenticeships Adviser role since the current Prime Minister took office.

Robert Halfon: Please refer to the answer given by the Prime Minister to PQ 46313 on 10 October 2016. This is available at: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-09-13/46313/

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release

Mr Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of prisoners released on licence to a bail hostel have been subsequently recalled to prison in 2016 to date.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Between January 2016 and March 2016 (the latest date for which figures are available), 715 offenders were recalled to prison whilst residing in an approved premises. We are unable to give an accurate figure for the proportion of departures from an approved premises that were attributable to the offender being recalled to custody. This is because some residents of an approved premises are not offenders released from custody on licence; in terms of departures, these cannot be distinguished from other residents. Approved premises provide for effective supervision of certain high risk of harm offenders, particularly on release from custody. It would not be possible to provide such effective supervision elsewhere in the community, which is the only alternative for offenders who have completed the custodial part of their sentence. Offenders who breach their licence conditions (including the rules of residence of an approved premises in which they are required to reside) are liable to be recalled to custody, in order to protect the public.

Church Commissioners

Peterborough Cathedral: Finance

Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps are being taken by the Church Commissioners to address the financial difficulties at Peterborough Cathedral; and if she will make a statement.

Dame Caroline Spelman: The Church Commissioners have made an emergency loan to help address the cashflow challenges at Peterbourough Cathedral. In addition to this financial assistance, they have also actively supported and continue to support the Cathedral and Chapter by giving practical assistance, for example helping the Chapter evaluate options for staff restructuring and its property sale programme. The Bishop of Peterborough has launched a visitation which will include a review of financial management and overall governance of the cathedral. The Commissioners are assisting in this process and I am happy to say that governance is improving and Chapter is beginning to address its budget deficit.

Cathedrals: Repairs and Maintenance

Karl McCartney: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church of England has made an assessment of the effect of the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund on the fabric of English cathedrals.

Dame Caroline Spelman: The First World War Centenary cathedral Repairs Fund has currently allocated £3.45million of the £40million total, this has as so far enabled 116 vital repair and restoration projects across 57 Anglican and Catholic cathedrals to be undertaken.Lincoln Cathedral has received £1.18 million for repairs to turrets and roofs, typical of the costs faced for high-level cathedral repairs involving extraordinarily complicated scaffolding. These repairs have gone a long way to complete the major repairs but with any building of this size and age constant maintenance is needed.The final grants are currently being processed, as the grants scheme comes to a close there will be a programme of formal evaluation to assess the wider social and economic benefits the projects have contributed, such as increased employment, training, volunteer opportunities and tourism. A copy of this evaluation will be made available to all Members early in 2018 so as to ensure it covers all works the Fund has invested in.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Culture: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to provide additional funding to cultural and heritage projects previously funded by EU programmes when that EU funding ends.

Matt Hancock: The Chancellor has guaranteed structural and investment fund projects in the UK that are signed even after the Autumn Statement. In addition, projects where UK organisations bid directly and competitively for EU funding will be guaranteed by the UK Government if the bids are won before our departure from the EU, regardless of whether or not the projects continue after departure. Funding for other projects will be honoured by the government if they are good value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities.Leaving the EU means we will want to take our own decisions about how to deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding. Over the coming months, we will consult closely with stakeholders to review all EU funding schemes in the round, to ensure that any ongoing funding commitments best serve the UK‘s national interest, while ensuring appropriate investor certainty.

Gaming Machines

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will bring forward proposals to reduce the maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals.

Tracey Crouch: The Triennial Review of Stakes and Prizes is due to be published shortly, and will consider stakes and prizes of all gaming machines.

Sports: Females

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage female participation in sport.

Tracey Crouch: Sport England’s latest Active People Survey results show that the number of women playing sport and being active in England is fast increasing, with over 7 million females aged 16 years or over playing sport once a week - an increase of 261,200 since March 2015. However, we recognise that there are various obstacles which still exist that put women off sport and initiatives such as This Girl Can, a Sport England behaviour change campaign, have helped encourage women and girls to get active. In addition the Government’s strategy for sport and physical activity ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for An Active Nation’ and Sport England’s strategy ‘Towards an Active Nation’ aim to create a more physically active nation, where people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy the benefits that sport and physical activity can provide. Both also put a strong emphasis on reaching groups that are under-represented in sport and physical activity, including women and girls, and helping them to get active in ways that suit them.

Department for Work and Pensions

Housing Benefit: Hostels

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to what forms of hostel accommodation he plans to apply the housing benefit cap.

Caroline Nokes: The Secretary of State announced in a Written Ministerial Statement on 15 September 2016 that we would be deferring the application of Local Housing Allowance Rates in the social sector for all those living in supported accommodation until 2019/20.At this point we will bring in a new funding model which will ensure that the sector continues to be funded at current levels, taking into account the effect of Government policy on social sector rents.The Secretary of State also announced that a formal consultation would be published shortly.

Bereavement Benefits

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made on implementing the recommendations made by the Work and Pensions Committee in its report of 23 March 2016 on support for the bereaved.

Caroline Nokes: As set out in the Government response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee’s report on support for the bereaved, we are working closely with the funeral industry in order to improve communications and guidance to help bereaved people understand the eligibility criteria and apply for Funeral Expenses Payments. Later this autumn we will be introducing an improved and shorter application form.

Funerals: Costs

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people who are affected by funeral poverty.

Caroline Nokes: The Department does not hold this information. In 2015/2016, the Department made 29,000 Funeral Expenses Payments to people on qualifying income-based benefits and tax credits to help them with the cost of arranging a funeral.

Funerals: Costs

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce the cost of funerals.

Caroline Nokes: We continue to make Funeral Expenses Payments to make a significant contribution towards the costs of a simple, respectful funeral. These payments are made to claimants on qualifying income-based benefits and tax credits who are arranging a funeral.

Funerals: Costs

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent representations his Department has (a) received and (b) made to the Scottish Government on its approach to funeral expenses.

Caroline Nokes: My Department has been working closely with Scottish Government officials to facilitate the effective handover of powers and responsibilities under the Scotland Act 2016. The progress we have made is testament to the constructive approach we are taking; we have already commenced the vast majority of the welfare powers and discussions are underway on the steps that we will take to commence the remaining sections including funeral expenses.

Maternity Payments

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to make changes to the eligibility criteria for the Sure Start maternity grant for families affected by changes to child tax credit from April 2017.

Damian Hinds: We are considering how the changes to Child Tax Credit from April 2017 might affect the eligibility criteria for Sure Start Maternity Grants.

Employment: Autism

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce the autism employment gap.

Penny Mordaunt: We will shortly publish a Green Paper on work and health and conduct a consultation aimed at disabled people, their representative organisations and a wide range of other stakeholders.We have put in place the Autism Alliance UK contract to upskill autism leads across the JCP+/DWP Network – Delivering autism and associated hidden impairments training by specialists in this area. So far we have reached over 1,100 staff.It is hoped the training will help increase the proportion of autistic adults in full-time employment, which currently stands at 15%, according to the National Autistic Society.DWP has also developed an uncovering hidden impairments toolkit to help colleagues support those with hidden impairments, including autism.

Social Security Benefits: Parkinson's Disease

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with Parkinson's disease and who are in receipt of disability living allowance are waiting reassessment for personal independence payments; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with Parkinson's disease have been transferred from long-term disability living allowance to personal independence payment in the last three years.

Penny Mordaunt: As at February 2016 (the latest data available), I estimate there were about 4,600 working age people in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) whose main disabling condition is recorded as Parkinson’s disease on the DLA computer systems, and who will be invited to apply for Personal Independence Payment in the future, or may have been invited to claim within the past 6 months.As at July 2016, there were 1,300 claimants in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) who have been reassessed in the last three years, having previously been in receipt of DLA, and whose main disabling condition is recorded as Parkinson's disease or Parkinson's syndrome on the PIP computer systems.The length of a PIP award is based on an individual’s circumstances. For some of the most severely disabled claimants, a review could be as long as ten years after the initial award, at which point only a light-touch review, rather than a face-to-face assessment, will be necessary.

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on its investigation into alleged UK violations of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Penny Mordaunt: The Rules of Procedure of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provide that all documents and proceedings of the Committee relating to the conduct of an inquiry under the Optional Protocol are confidential.

Members: Correspondence

Mr David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the hon. Member for Walsall North did not receive a written response to his letter of 25 May 2016 on a constituent's concern about personal independence payments, ref NM580509C/PIP 10531938/101; when a reply will be received to that letter and the follow-up letter of 3 October 2016; and for what reasons those delays occurred.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department for Work and Pensions apologises for any delay in responding. We have been investigating the issues raised in your Parliamentary Question but unfortunately there is no trace of your stated correspondence within the department. Therefore we are unable to respond at this time. The department requests that the honourable gentleman for Walsall North sends in duplicate copies, to enable the department to understand the content, investigate further and provide an appropriate response.

Social Security Benefits

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2016 to Question 45252, whether he plans to routinely publish future reviews carried out by his Department on the deaths of social security claimants.

Damian Hinds: Internal Process Reviews are an internal continuous improvement tool and as such there are no plans to publish the reports. We are content to share any recommendations from these reports.

Mining: Accidents

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2016 to Question 44288, how many of these incidents led to fatalities.

Penny Mordaunt: There have been three incidents leading to fatalities.Four people died as a result of an inrush of water at the Gleision Mine in South Wales on 15 September 2011;One person died as a result of a fall of ground at Kellingley Colliery, North Yorkshire on 27 September 2011;One person died as a result of a sudden and powerful release of gas from rocks at Boulby Mine in East Cleveland on 17 June 2016.

Ministry of Defence

Yemen: Cluster Munitions

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 July 2016 to Question 41376, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of evidence provided by Amnesty International on the alleged use of UK-produced BL-755 cluster munitions by the Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral contribution of the then Minister for Defence Procurement of 24 May 2016, column 403, on Yemen: cluster munitions, that his Department is investigating allegations that Saudi Arabia used UK-supplied cluster munitions, if he will (a) provide an update on the progress and conclusions of those investigations and (b) confirm whether those investigations also explored the possibility that UK-supplied aircraft were used to drop those munitions.

Sir Michael Fallon: Holding answer received on 16 September 2016



The Government takes these allegations very seriously. We have analysed the case carefully and raised the issue with the Saudi-led Coalition. The key test for our continued arms exports to Saudi Arabia in relation to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is whether there is a clear risk that those weapons might be used in a serious violation of IHL. This is kept under careful and continual review.

Military Attaches: Expenditure

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent under each cost heading by UK defence attachés in each year since 2010.

Mike Penning: The following information shows Ministry of Defence previous spending for the Defence Attaché and Advisor Network from Financial Year 2010-11 to 2015-16. The information is not available to give an accurate breakdown by cost heading for each Defence Attaché. These figures do not include costs associated with British Defence Section United States as those costs cannot be broken down by cost heading.  Financial YearPersonnelEquipment Support CostsInfrastructure CostsInventory/ Other ConsumptionNet Interest PayableOther CostsReceipts and other IncomeTotal RDEL2010-11£21,296,462£452,981£12,661,662£410,753-£1,217£8,924,225-£110,851£43,634,0162011-12£22,017,758£353,361£1,496,946£360,208-£2,260£17,188,040-£97,264£41,316,7902012-13£21,782,956£646,092£1,432,271£272,149-£2,507£17,023,974-£296,291£40,858,6442013-14£22,819,582£270,350£1,424,211£386,100-£3,023£17,099,861-£213,642£41,783,4392014-15£23,919,518£283,823£1,822,433£347,263-£3,538£18,705,945-£136,778£44,938,6652015-16£25,974,993£292,365£1,634,154£968,244-£1,973£16,844,778£4,443£45,717,004

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the UK-supplied weapons are which are known to have been used in Yemen since January 2015.

Sir Michael Fallon: As at 12 October 2016 the following UK-supplied precision-guided weapons have been used in Yemen: Paveway, PGM500 (also known as the Hakim 2), Dual Mode Brimstone and Storm Shadow, along with ALARM (anti-radiation missiles).

Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

Danny Kinahan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his proposals to time-limit civil claims made in relation to military operations will apply to Operation Banner.

Mike Penning: We are not currently in a position to confirm our plans with regards to limitation. We will make an announcement in due course.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39787, if he will place a copy in the Library of the Joint Doctrine Publication 030.2, Unmanned Aircraft Systems; and if he will make a statement.

Mike Penning: To ensure defence doctrine reflects UK Government policy, the drafting of Joint Doctrine Publication 0-30.2 "Unmanned Aircraft Systems" is being developed in parallel with the Defence policy review concerning both remotely piloted air and highly automated systems. Officials are currently consulting stakeholders and expect to conclude the review early in 2017 at which point we expect to publish the updated doctrine.

Armed Forces

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to promote the welfare of members of the armed forces.

Mark Lancaster: The Armed Forces Covenant ensures that those who serve and have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly. In June 2013 the Chancellor announced that the financial commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant would be made permanent through a £10 million fund per annum in perpetuity from 2015-16.The Annual Report on the Armed Forces Covenant from December 2015 detailed a number of achievements of which this Government can be proud, including allocating £40 million for accommodation projects for veterans; the £200 million Forces Help to Buy Scheme; and a world class centre for excellence for the training and delivery of Defence Medical Services.In 2016 to date under the large grants scheme we have awarded a total of almost £7.5 million to 24 projects supporting community integration, criminal justice system initiatives and the co-ordination and delivery of support. Under the small grants scheme we have awarded a total of almost £2.4 million to 150 community integration projects. Depending on the quality of the bids, we hope to be able to announce the preferred bidder for the Veterans Gateway Service in November, as well as further tranches of Covenant Grant funding.In January 2016, the Department published the first ever Armed Forces Families Strategy, embracing seven key themes - partner employment, accommodation, children's education and childcare, community support, specialist support, health and wellbeing, and transition. This is now routine business supporting our families.We have reviewed our casualty and compassionate processes, and this autumn we are introducing a new reserves welfare health-check. In the last year Defence has enabled payroll deductions for Service personnel to take advantage of the savings and cheap loan facilities from selected credit unions. This facility was extended to veterans in receipt of a pension in March 2016.

Gulf States: Military Aid

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what involvement the UK armed forces have had in training armed forces of Gulf states in each of the last 15 years.

Mike Penning: Over the past 15 years, UK Armed Forces have provided support to armed forces of Gulf States both in-country and in the UK and continue to do so. Gulf States have attended international defence training courses in the UK such as the advanced command and staff course, Royal College of Defence Studies and Initial Officer Training.UK Armed Forces have also provided training in-country through the delivery of tactical level Short Term Training Teams in the maritime, land and air domains. The Defence Academy has also delivered the strategic leadership programme and managing defence in wider security context courses to Gulf States along with the Royal Navy's exclusive economic zone course.

Turkey: Military Exercises

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the participation of assets of the Turkish armed forces in NATO Operation Joint Warrior 2016 had been planned.

Mike Penning: JOINT WARRIOR is a bi-annual UK exercise aimed at providing collective maritime-focused training to UK and international navy, air and land forces with invited participation from NATO and other nations. The planning and delivery of this year's exercises involved assets and personnel from the Turkish Armed Forces.Turkey has routinely contributed assets and personnel in previous JOINT WARRIOR exercises and this year is no different.

Ethiopia: Security

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what account his Department took of the suspension by the Department for International Development of a security sector management programme in Ethiopia in deciding to oversee an executive MSc programme in such management.

Mike Penning: The Regional MSc in Security Sector Management was restarted in financial year 2015-16 following discussions between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development (DFID) reviewing the aims, objectives and performance of the previous DFID-funded programme. The new MSc differs from the previous programme as it draws students from across the region and wider African Union countries, thereby contributing to the National Security Council (NSC) objectives of enhancing regional peace and security in East Africa and building the African Union's capacity to reduce, manage and resolve conflict and crises in Africa. The MSc is now funded from the Conflict Security and Stability Fund, which better reflects the security focus of the syllabus.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Home Ownership Incentive Schemes

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the total estimated net present value was of all outstanding equity loan advances in UK residential property held by government departments on the latest date for which information is available.

Gavin Barwell: The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) operates and administers a number of current and past equity loan and equity share schemes for the Department for Communities and Local Government.The estimated fair value for all outstanding equity loans with HCA at end March 2016 is:Help to Buy: Equity Loan £3,629,294,000Other legacy home equity schemes £461,301,000Total £4,090,595,000The other legacy home equity schemes are: FirstBuy, HomeBuy Direct and First-Time Buyers’ Initiative.This information is set out in the HCA Annual Report and Financial Statements 2015-16 (Note 21) with further information about ‘fair value’ in Notes 1 and 31.The Ministry of Defence operated a scheme: Affordable Homes Ownership scheme (AFHOS) until March 2014. There are presently 259 live AFHOS loans with an initial value of £15.073 million. The net present value for this book is not estimated so this figure is the value of the equity at purchase.The Scottish and Welsh Governments and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive also operate equity loan and shared schemes for home ownership, on which they can provide information.

Home Ownership Incentive Schemes

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the total value was of all reclaimed equity loans in UK residential property where the holder was a government department in each of the last five years.

Gavin Barwell: The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) operates and administers a number of current and past equity loan and equity share schemes for the Department for Communities and Local Government.The HCA has received the following funds in redemption of equity loans in each of the last five years:2011-12 £4.020 million2012-13 £12.141 million2013-14 £34.731 million2014-15 £70.952 million2015-16 £182.916 millionThey include loans from several schemes: Help to Buy: Equity Loan, FirstBuy, HomeBuy Direct and First-Time Buyers’ Initiative.The Ministry of Defence operated a scheme: Affordable Homes Ownership scheme (AFHOS) until March 2014. AFHOS receipts to date are:Receipts during period 2011-15: £1.457 millionReceipts during financial year 2015-16: £1.896 millionThe Scottish and Welsh Governments and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive also operate equity loan and equity share schemes for home ownership, on which they can provide information.

Councillors: Candidates

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to encourage people with ability to seek election to local councils; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: Strong and effective democratic local governance requires the best possible candidates to stand for election.Whilst encouraging and fostering suitable candidates is largely a matter for political parties and the local government sector itself, rather than government, we have, through the Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government, provided support for such programmes as ‘Be a Councillor’ designed to encourage ambitious and talented councillors.

Parish Councils

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many Parish Councils in which areas have been established since 2010; and how many new expressions of interest for creating new Parish Councils are under consideration; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: The decision to create, modify or abolish a parish council was devolved to principal councils through the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. The process for creating new town or parish councils does not require an expression of interest to be submitted to government as such the Department for Communities and Local Government does not maintain a definitive list of new Parish councils.A local community may petition their local authority to carry out a community governance review to consider the creation of a new parish council; we do not record or receive details of these petitions.Principal councils have responsibility for undertaking community governance reviews and deciding whether to give effect to recommendations made in those reviews. In making that decision, they are expected to take account of the views of local people.

UK Withdrawal from EU

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received from English local authorities on the effect of UK withdrawal from the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Secretary of State and the department has a positive working relationship with local authorities and engages with them on a wide range of policies both at the ministerial and official level.The Secretary of State recognises the value that local authorities can add to the work the government is carrying out on identifying the effects of the UK's exit from the European Union and will continue to engage with them as we prepare for the UK's exit.

Housing: Construction

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what monitoring his Department undertakes of the number of homes built on surplus public land sold for housing development; and if he will make a statement.

Gavin Barwell: The current objective of the Public Land for Housing Programme is to release land with capacity for 160,000 much needed homes.Although this is the primary objective, we plan to collect data from departments to monitor the development of sites up to completion. This will include the number of homes granted planning permission for each site and when construction starts.

Local Government: Pensions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent representations he has received on reform of the Local Government Pensions Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: We have received a large number of recent representations about the power of intervention in the investment regulations currently before the House. Under the new regulations, administering authorities are significantly more responsible and accountable for their investment decisions. They will no longer be constrained by central prescription on how their assets are invested, provided they act reasonably within the framework provided by the regulations and guidance.The power of intervention has been included in the regulations as a backstop in order to protect around £200 billion of funds in the local government pension scheme, in the rare circumstances where it might be necessary to do so. As set out in the Government response to consultation the regulations include a number of safeguards, including full consultation with the relevant authority, to ensure that the power is used appropriately and proportionately. We have made clear that the intervention power will be used sparingly and only where fully justified.

HM Treasury

Asylum, Immigration and Integration Fund

Tim Farron: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to make available funding at the same level as currently received from the Asylum, Immigration and Integration Fund after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr David Gauke: Leaving the EU means we will need to consider carefully how to deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding, including the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. Over the coming months, we will consult with stakeholders to review all EU funding schemes in the round, to ensure that any ongoing funding commitments best serve the UK‘s national interest.

Soft Drinks: Taxation

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the effect on the employment of the introduction of tax on soft drinks.

Jane Ellison: The Government is consulting on the detail of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL). An initial impact assessment has been published alongside the consultation document.

UK Trade with EU

Emma Reynolds: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the potential effect of leaving the EU Customs Union on UK GDP.

Mr David Gauke: The relationship we build with the EU will be bespoke to the UK. There are of course a number of different models for EU trade relations from which we can learn. We understand the advantages and disadvantages of those models, and are analysing closely the impact which adopting them would have on the UK economy and UK trade. However, the UK and its economy are utterly unique so the deal we secure will be unique too.

EU Grants and Loans

Tim Farron: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his announcement on EU regional funding dated 3 October 2016, what conditions will need to be passed by funding projects to ensure they are (i) good value for money and (ii) in line with domestic strategic priorities; and if he will guarantee that all regions will receive the full amount of funding they were allocated by the EU.

Mr David Gauke: The Chancellor announced that the Treasury will provide a guarantee for all new structural and investment fund projects, signed after Autumn Statement, and before we leave the EU, where they provide value for money and support domestic strategic priorities. Each government department will take responsibility for the allocation of money to projects in line with these conditions and the wider rules on public spending. The Treasury will work with departments to embed this approach.

Concentrix

Helen Goodman: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has received any reports that Concentrix has used postcode areas to target tax credit claimants with allegations that they have provided incorrect claim information.

Jane Ellison: Concentrix’s workload is delegated by HM Revenue and Customs. Using postcode areas for selection criteria is outside the scope of Concentrix. Information about the use of profiling techniques can be found in section A10.1 of the Concentrix contract at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/85d1b730-5e4e-4be8-ae4c-3ac1f359afc7

European Union Solidarity Fund

Tim Farron: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the announcement by HM Treasury on EU regional funding, dated 3 October 2016, whether his Department plans to (a) guarantee and (b) replace European Solidarity Funding for flood relief.

Mr David Gauke: The Government finalised its application to the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) in respect of the exceptional flooding in winter 2015-16 on 22 September 2016. Unlike multi-year European Union structural and investment funds, EUSF awards are paid in a single sum to the relevant Member State. If the UK’s current application is approved, any award would be received before the UK leaves the European Union.

Foreign Investment in UK: Northern Region

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the result of the EU referendum on inward investment to the (a) North and (b) North East of England.

Simon Kirby: Before the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, the UK government published short-term and long-term assessments of the likely impact on all regions of the UK economy from leaving the EU. HM Government is monitoring economic developments closely and the independent Office for Budget Responsibility will produce an updated economic forecast alongside Autumn Statement 2016.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Staff

John Pugh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, approximately how many (a) British and (b) non-British nationals are employed cleaning the Westminster estate of his Department.

John Pugh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of staff on the payroll of his Department who work in Westminster are (a) British nationals and (b) nationals of another country.

Ben Gummer: All Government Departments are bound by legal requirements concerning the right to work in the UK and, in addition, the Civil Service Nationality Rules. Evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks, but there is no requirement on departments to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose.More broadly, the Government will be consulting in due course on how we work with business to ensure that workers in this country have the skills that they need to get a job. But there are no proposals to publish lists of the number or proportion of foreign workers.

Cabinet Office: Migrant Workers

Steve McCabe: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of staff employed by his Department  are non-UK nationals.

Ben Gummer: All Government Departments are bound by legal requirements concerning the right to work in the UK and, in addition, the Civil Service Nationality Rules. Evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks, but there is no requirement on departments to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose.More broadly, the Government will be consulting in due course on how we work with business to ensure that workers in this country have the skills that they need to get a job. But there are no proposals to publish lists of the number or proportion of foreign workers.

Consumers: Racial Discrimination

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will extend the proposed audit of public services to reveal racial disparities to all organisations and companies which provide (a) car insurance and (b) other consumer services required by law.

Ben Gummer: All companies and other organisations that provide a service to the public are legally obliged under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure no race discrimination occurs. The Race Disparity Audit was set up to identify and analyse racial disparities in public services, working with data from Government departments and their arm’s length bodies to build a complete and accurate picture across the country. This is a unique and ambitious undertaking and there are no current plans to extend it beyond public services.

List of Ministerial Responsibilities

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to update the List of Ministerial Responsibilities.

Ben Gummer: An updated version of the list of Ministerial Responsibilities will be published shortly.

Duchy of Lancaster

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what correspondence he has received from English Heritage on Duchy of Lancaster properties under the guardianship of English Heritage in the last 12 months.

Sir Patrick McLoughlin: The Minister for the Cabinet Office has received no correspondence from English Heritage on Duchy of Lancaster properties under the guardianship of English Heritage in the last 12 months.

List of Ministerial Responsibilities

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to publish an updated edition of Ministerial Responsibilities.

Ben Gummer: An updated version of the list of Ministerial Responsibilities will be published shortly.

Duchy of Lancaster

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will estimate the proportion of time Ministers in his Department spent on the management of matters relating to the Duchy of Lancaster in the last three months.

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who was principally responsible for the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster between November 2005 and May 2006.

Sir Patrick McLoughlin: Between November 2005 and May 2006 the role of the Chancellor was vacant. During that period the Duchy was administered by the Chief Executive and Clerk of the Council, along with the Duchy Council.Since I have taken up the role, I have been carrying out a number of duties related to the Duchy, including meetings with Duchy staff, a visit to a Duchy property and various appointments and responsibilities associated with the office.

Tranmere Tunnels

Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government owns the Tranmere Tunnels.

Ben Gummer: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) China, (b) USA, Canada and Hong Kong, (c) Australia, (d) Brazil, (e) India, (f) South Korea, (g) Japan, (h) Mexico and (i) South Africa on negotiating trade deals with the UK.

Greg Hands: Ministers and officials in the Department for International Trade are working closely with counterparts across a wide range of markets, in order to promote the UK as a great place to do business and with which to trade. We are taking advantage of all the opportunities available to us to ensure that Britain becomes the global leader in free trade once we leave the EU.

Trade Agreements

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to determine how many trade negotiators his Department will require in the next six months.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade already has a strong and capable trade policy team which has more than doubled in size since 23 June. Over the coming months we will be developing that team to build the world class negotiating strengths needed to deliver the best outcomes for the UK. They will have the depth and breadth of expertise to handle the full range of sectoral and cross-cutting issues that arise in trade agreements, supported by analysts and lawyers.

Department for International Trade: Migrant Workers

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of the staff employed by his Department are non-UK nationals.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many foreign workers his Department employs.

Greg Hands: Following her appointment on 13 July 2016 the Prime Minister established the Department for International Trade (DIT). The DIT aggregates UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UK Export and Finance (UKEF), Trade Policy Units from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), as well as some new hires.Until such time as a transfer of functions order establishes my Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade as a corporation sole, DIT remains a unified Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department for accounting purposes.As DIT is currently being formed, details of the staff that the Department employs is being finalised, whilst employee transfers and recruitment are taking place.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Ivory

John Mc Nally: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will register the UK's support for closing domestic ivory markets irrespective of the EU support of this position.

John Mc Nally: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will commit the UK to voting in support of the closure of domestic ivory markets at forthcoming international conferences.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: At the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) that took place from 24 September to 5 October, proposals on the closure of domestic ivory markets where they contribute to poaching or illegal trade were agreed by all Parties by consensus. The UK supported this outcome, negotiating on the basis of a common EU and Member State position. The agreement at CITES should form a strong basis for a global position on this important issue, which the UK will continue to support. It will not be revisited in the CITES context before the next Conference of Parties, which will take place in 2019. The UK will continue to comply with our EU treaty obligations, including our duty of sincere cooperation, until we formally leave the EU.

Ivory

John Mc Nally: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to close the UK ivory market; and if she will make a statement.

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's policy is on seeking a ban on ivory sales.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the impact on the domestic ivory market of plans by other OECD countries to make it illegal to import and export ivory; and if she will make it her policy to impose a total ban on the domestic ivory trade.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government is deeply concerned by the continued poaching of elephants for their ivory, which is why we are committed to maintaining the current global ban on any international trade in new ivory. The UK has made no formal assessment of the impact of other countries’ additional measures to restrict trade in ivory. However, as a further step in delivering the Government’s manifesto commitment to press for a total ban on ivory sales, on 21 September the Secretary of State announced plans for a ban on sales of items containing ivory dated between 1947 and the present day, putting UK rules on ivory sales among the world’s toughest. We will consult on plans for the ban early next year. This will complement the existing UK approach not to permit the trade of raw ivory tusks. The Government also successfully lobbied for the EU-wide adoption of the existing UK ban on sales of raw ivory tusks, which was advocated through the EU Council Conclusions on an EU Action Plan on Wildlife Trafficking and adopted in June. This urged EU Member States not to issue export or re-export documents under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) for raw, pre-Convention ivory (pre-1990) and to consider further measures to put a halt to commercial trade in ivory from elephants. At the CITES Conference that took place from 24 September to 5 October the UK was involved in negotiations that successfully secured a strong agreement calling for the closure of domestic ivory markets where they contribute to poaching or illegal trade. This was agreed by all 183 Parties to CITES.

Flood Control: Finance

Tom Tugendhat: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2016 to Question 45646, on what basis she will make recommendations to HM Treasury on allocation of remaining funding from the £700 million uplift to flood defence and resilience measures.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Proposals to improve flood defences are made by Defra and its agencies on the basis of the economic benefits, which are assessed in terms of the potential flood damages avoided, the current level of risk and the number homes that would be better protected by the scheme.

Flood Control: Finance

Tom Tugendhat: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2016 to Question 45646, how she will assess local needs and value for money to inform decisions on allocating the remaining funding from the £700 million uplift to flood defence and resilience measures.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Local needs are assessed according to the probability of flooding in the area and the damages that could occur as a result of a flood. Investment options are assessed through an appraisal of the benefits and the costs of potential ways of reducing that risk.

Flood Control: Finance

Tom Tugendhat: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2016 to Question 45646, when her Department plans to complete the assessment of local needs and value for money to inform decisions on how to allocate remaining funding from the £700 million uplift to flood defence and resilience measures.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The assessment of local needs is an ongoing process. The Environment Agency and other risk management authorities are responsible for maintaining up to date assessments of local flood risk. This information, together with an assessment of options to reduce risk in each area, provides an ongoing pipeline of potential works.

Flood Control: South East

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to improve flood defences in (a) Woking constituency, (b) Surrey and (c) the South East since 2010.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: In the Woking constituency, the Hoe Valley Flood Alleviation Scheme opened in spring 2012 resulting in better protection to almost 200 properties. In Surrey, the Environment Agency together with the Lead Local Flood Authorities, are developing a range of flood schemes under the Government’s 6 Year Investment Programme. The River Thames Scheme for example, will seek to reduce the risk of flooding to 15,000 properties in Surrey and Berkshire. Schemes are also being developed in Guildford, Godalming, Leatherhead and Byfleet. In the South East the Environment Agency has better protected 42,000 homes between 2010 - 2015 and forecast to better protect nearly 80,000 more homes by 2021.

European Environment Agency

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to continue to participate in the European Environment Agency after the UK leaves the UK.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: While the UK remains a member of the EU we are required to fully participate in the European Environment Agency (EEA) as an EEA member country.As we start the process of leaving the EU, we will aim to deliver a stable and clear legislative framework for the environment, including maintaining standards that underpin trade and deliver on our international commitments. It is within this framework that we will plan our future participation in the EEA.

Exclusive Economic Zone

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to reform management of the waters in the UK's Exclusive Economic Zone.

George Eustice: Exit from the European Union presents us with an opportunity to improve the way waters in the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone are managed. No decisions have yet been taken, although the Government remains committed to sustainable fisheries and eliminating discards, as set out in its manifesto.

Environmental Protection

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to maintain or enhance the UK's environmental protection standards following an exit from the EU.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We remain fully committed to delivering our manifesto commitment to be the first generation to leave the natural environment of England in a better state than we found it. We are developing a 25 Year Environment Plan to deliver this. Earlier this month, the Prime Minister announced our plans for a Repeal Bill that will convert current EU law into domestic British law. This will give consumers, workers and businesses as much certainty as possible by maintaining the existing laws wherever practicable and desirable. Any future changes in the law will be subject to full scrutiny and proper Parliamentary debate. The decision to leave the EU means we now have a unique opportunity, in future, to design a set of policies tailored to the needs of the UK, its species and habitats.

Goats: Milk

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to negotiate with the Chinese government to seek concessions for UK companies affected by the recent decision of the Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine to delay an update to the UK Health Certificate to allow UK exports of goat milk products.

George Eustice: The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the British Embassy in Beijing are working closely with the Chinese Authorities to take forward these negotiations and review options for accelerating progress on an ongoing basis.

Agriculture: Employment

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications of the outcome of the EU referendum for future employment levels in the agricultural sector.

George Eustice: The Government has manifesto commitments to develop a 25 year plan to grow more and sell more British food and to treble the number of apprentices in food and farming. These commitments are unaffected by the EU referendum result.

Food: Trade Promotion

Will Quince: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she  has made of the effectiveness of the Great British Food Unit in opening up new markets for British food and drink exports.

George Eustice: In the last year, the Great British Food Unit has opened 24 new export markets and secured improved conditions for an additional 14 markets. It has supported UK companies around the world to secure new exports worth hundreds of millions of pounds. In addition, we have made good progress opening the US and Japanese markets to British beef and lamb.

Food: Trade Promotion

Scott Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to promote British-made produce in the UK and abroad.

George Eustice: The Great British Food Unit brings together expertise from within Defra, the Department for International Trade and Embassies to promote top quality British food and drink around the world. The five year Great British Food Campaign celebrates the best of the UK’s Food and Drink industry and aims to build a world-leading brand for British food and drink. 2016 is the Year of Great British Food. Within the UK, a series of events, partnerships and promotional activity is celebrating the richness of Great British Food and highlighting the best of our food and drink provenance, heritage and culture, working with leading food entrepreneurs and in partnership with the food and drink industry. Encouraging companies to start exporting or to increase exports is a priority for this government. The Great British Food Unit has developed nine campaigns in 18 priority countries with the aim of boosting exports by hundreds of millions over the next five years. The campaigns target large existing markets or markets with significant growth potential – Australia and New Zealand; France; Germany; India; Japan; Mexico and Latin America; USA and Canada; China; UAE and Gulf. In England, the ‘Exporting is Great’ Export Hub Truck tour (10 to 14 October 2016) is supporting new exporters in getting the information and support they need to begin exporting. The truck is visiting the South West, the Midlands, the Northern Powerhouse regions and the South East.

Wetlands: New Forest

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will visit the New Forest to see the effect of wetland restorations.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: In May this year, my predecessor visited the New Forest, to see the benefits of wetland restoration; reversing the long term damage caused by artificial deepening and widening of the watercourses in the 19th and early 20th century. This restoration work is expected to help restore the Site of Special Scientific Interest to a favourable condition. It wouldn’t now be appropriate for me to revisit, during a time when the planning application is being assessed.

Ivory: Sales

Robert Jenrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to work with the art and antiques industries to address the sale of ivory in the UK.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: My immediate predecessor met, and officials have had a number of discussions with, representatives of the arts and antique sectors over the past 18 months to discuss issues surrounding the sale of ivory in the UK. This included exploring issues that informed our announcement, made on 21 September, of plans for a ban on the sale of ivory items produced from 1947 to the present day.

Agriculture: Apprentices

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government has taken with the food, farming and agri-tech industries to treble the number of apprenticeships in those sectors.

George Eustice: Food, farming and agri-tech apprenticeships provide exciting career opportunities and the Food and Drink Federation predict they will need 130,000 new skilled recruits by 2024.Food and farming businesses have led the way in developing new standards, so that apprenticeships such as “Dairy Technologist” are ready for delivery.We are also encouraging food and farming apprentices to feature in the “Get In Go Far” apprenticeships campaign.

Department of Health

Abortion

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women waited longer than two weeks for an abortion (a) in NHS hospitals and agencies and (b) with private providers in each year since 2009-10.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what data his Department holds on the average length of time between obtaining the first medical practitioner's signature and the second medical practitioner's signature for an abortion HSA1 form.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, at how many (a) NHS hospitals, (b) NHS agencies and (c) approved private sector places abortions were able to take place in each year since 2009-10.

Nicola Blackwood: Comprehensive and comparable data is not collected centrally on waiting times for abortions performed in both the National Health Service and independent sector. Information on the average time between the two medical practitioners' signatures is also not collected centrally. Because of the way information is stored the number of places where abortions took place in England and Wales is only available from 2013 to 2015 and is shown in the table below. All independent sector places perform abortions under contract from the NHS (previously known as NHS agency). Table: The number of clinics at which abortions took place, by clinic type, England and Wales 2013 to 2015YearTotal number of clinicsNHS HospitalIndependent SectorPrivate Hospital 20133482349716 201435422311714 201538522015114

North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust: Standards

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the performance of the North East Ambulance Service.

Mr Philip Dunne: Assessment of the performance of the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) is the responsibility of its commissioners, and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as the regulator of health services in England. The CQC carried out a comprehensive inspection at NEAS in April 2016. The inspection reports will be published in due course.

Pancreatic Cancer

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding his Department has provided for research on pancreatic cancer in each of the last three years.

Nicola Blackwood: The information requested is not available. Spend on research funded directly by the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is categorised by Health Research Classification System (HRCS) health categories including ‘cancer’. There are no HRCS health sub-categories, such as for pancreatic cancer or other cancer sites. Investment in cancer research by the NIHR has risen from £101 million in 2010/11 to £135 million in 2014/15 (the latest available figure). The NIHR works closely with patients, charities and our world-leading life sciences industry to support further research into pancreatic cancer.

Food: Advertising

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations his Department has made to the Government on the potential effect on health of restricting television advertising for unhealthy food on programming likely to be watched by children.

Nicola Blackwood: Evidence shows that current restrictions on the advertising of less healthy food and drink in the United Kingdom are amongst the toughest in the world.The Department worked with other Government Departments in developing the recently launched Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action. The policies in the plan are informed by the latest research and evidence, including from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition report Carbohydrates and Health, Public Health England’s evidence package Sugar reduction: the evidence for action, debates in this House and various reports from key stakeholders including the Health Select Committee.Copies of Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action, Carbohydrates and Health and Sugar reduction: the evidence for action are available at:www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/546588/Childhood_obesity_2016__2__acc.pdfwww.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/445503/SACN_Carbohydrates_and_Health.pdfwww.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/470179/Sugar_reduction_The_evidence_for_action.pdf

Obesity: Children

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to engage with the Daily Mile to help implement the physical activity objectives of the childhood obesity strategy.

Nicola Blackwood: I have been in correspondence with Elaine Wyllie about the Daily Mile and I am planning to meet her in due course to discuss in more detail.

Surrogate Motherhood

Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Law Commission as part of its scoping work on reform of surrogacy law.

Nicola Blackwood: The Law Commission is currently consulting on proposals for its 13th programme of law reform, and has asked consultees for their views on whether a project about surrogacy should be included in the programme. The consultation closes on 31 October 2016. The Department wrote to the Law Commission on 20 May 2016 supporting the inclusion of a project about surrogacy in the list of suggested possible projects being considered for the programme. No discussions have taken place with the Law Commission about scoping.

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people (a) have access to and (b) use an insulin pump.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people use a continuous glucose monitor (a) provided by the NHS and (b) that they have funded themselves.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people use an insulin pump (a) provided by the NHS and (b) that they have funded themselves.

Nicola Blackwood: Data on insulin pump usage in England is now collected and published in the National Diabetes Insulin Pump Audit. The report for 2013-15 can be found at:http://www.hqip.org.uk/public/cms/253/625/19/520/National%20Diabetes%20Insulin%20Pump%20Audit%20report%202013-15.pdf?realName=hOfPw8.pdf?v=0Participation in the first audit was low, with 44 out of 183 units providing data, and so it does not provide an accurate count of the number of people using an insulin pump. Furthermore, the data does not provide information on access to insulin pumps or distinguish between insulin pumps provided by the National Health Service or those which are self-funded. This information is not collected centrally.Information on the number of people using continuous glucose monitors is not collected centrally.

Mental Health Services: Waiting Lists

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS England is able to meet its aim of extending waiting time standards for mental health.

Nicola Blackwood: The National Health Service is already meeting standards on access to psychological therapies and we have introduced waiting time standards for early intervention in psychosis.NHS England published an Implementation Plan in July 2016 setting out the actions required to deliver their Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, including developing the right pathways and access and waiting time standards for the treatment of mental health conditions. We are working with NHS England and health delivery partners to ensure that these actions are delivered.

Mental Health Services

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the mental health crisis care concordat in improving cooperation between mental health services, non-mental health NHS services and other government services.

Nicola Blackwood: MIND, which has been supporting implementation of the national Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat, commissioned an evaluation of the work being undertaken to implement the national statement. This included an assessment of how local partners were working together to improve the experience of people in mental health crisis.The evaluation report, which was published in January 2016, can be found at the following link:http://www.crisiscareconcordat.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/CCC-Evaluation_Report.pdf

Mental Health Services: North East

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to (a) improve access to and (b) increase funding of mental health services in (i) the North East, (ii) County Durham and (iii) Easington constituency.

Nicola Blackwood: This Government remains committed to achieving parity of esteem for mental health. We have invested more than ever before in mental health with spending on mental health estimated to have increased to £11.7 billion.Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are committed to increasing spending on mental health further each year in line with the increase in their overall funding allocations. Information on steps being taken locally can be obtained from NHS Durham, Dales, Easington and Sedgefield CCG, and other CCGs in the North East.To fund the commitments recommended in the mental health taskforce, we will increase funding over the next five years rising to £1 billion additional expenditure by 2020-21. As announced in January 2016, the Government confirmed additional investment for mental health which includes:- £290 million of new investment over the next five years to provide mental healthcare for perinatal care;- £247 million to invest in liaison mental health services in emergency departments; and- Over £400 million to enable 24/7 treatment in communities as a safe and effective alternative to hospital.This builds on the £1.4 billion over five years announced in 2015 for children and young people’s mental health services, including services for eating disorders.

Common Cold

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the NHS of the common cold.

Nicola Blackwood: No estimate has been made of the annual cost of the common cold to the National Health Service. Although it is usually perceived as a single illness, the common cold is caused by a wide range of viruses.

Drugs: Young People

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department plans to raise awareness among young people of the dangers of so-called smart drugs.

Nicola Blackwood: The Government’s drug information website FRANK is updating its content to include enhancement drugs, including so-called smart drugs.FRANK forms part of a wider programme of education and prevention that should be delivered locally in line with evidence on what works best in effective prevention programmes.Public Health England (PHE) commissioned Mentor’s Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Information Service (ADEPIS) programme to helps schools and practitioners share information and resources to help them deliver good quality drug prevention activities. PHE also delivers the Rise Above campaign to 11–16 year olds, which provides content that aims to delay and prevent uptake of risky behaviours including smoking, drinking alcohol and drug use, to build resilience and enable young people to make good life choices.

Breast Cancer: Drugs

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects NICE to publish guidance on the use of bisphosphonates for the indication of preventing secondary breast cancer.

Nicola Blackwood: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guideline on early and locally advanced breast cancer: diagnosis and management (CG80) recommends the use of adjuvant bisphosphonates for the management of breast cancer treatment-induced bone loss in specified clinical circumstances. This guideline is currently being updated and the use of adjuvant bisphosphonates has been identified as one of the key areas that will be covered in this update. NICE expects to publish its updated guideline in July 2018.

Mental Health Services: Students

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to increase mental health support to UK students in the last 12 months.

Nicola Blackwood: The Department has responsibility for the health and wellbeing of people in England.Over the last 12 months progress has been made on many of the key ambitions set out in Future in Mind, which sets out the five-year vision of major system-wide transformation to improve access to high-quality mental health support across England for all children and young people. Future in Mind acknowledged that in particular university students may experience difficulty in transitioning between adolescent and adult mental health services due to geographical relocation and transience of residence.The core delivery mechanism in making this ambitious programme of transformation happen is the system-wide publicly available Local Transformation Plans (LTPs) that should cover the full spectrum of need for children and young people who have existing or emerging mental health problems. In developing the LTPs, local areas were asked to work with their key partners – including education - to agree locally how best to meet the mental health needs of children and young people in their local populations and this included effective transitions between services.To support this transformation, an additional £1.4 billion funding has been made available over the course of this Parliament that will enable the expansion and extension of the Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme so that high quality and evidence-based interventions can be accessed wherever they live.

Obesity: Surgery

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many bariatric surgical procedures were carried out in (a) the UK and (b) each local health authority in 2015.

Nicola Blackwood: NHS Digital has provided the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs)[1] with a primary diagnosis[2] of obesity and a main or secondary procedure[3] of bariatric surgery, by (i) hospital provider[4] and (ii) England total for 2014-15. This information is provided in the tables below. Information for the devolved administrations is not held centrally.Hospital providerFCEsAintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust220Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust83Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust0Barts Health NHS Trust*Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust*Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust43Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust24Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust*Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust*Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust171City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust583Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust183Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust135Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust0Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust58Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust45Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust68Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust142Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust324Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust65Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust320King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust442Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust25Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust28Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust175Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust*Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust53North Bristol NHS Trust75North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust0Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust108Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust65Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust*Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust51Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust*Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust132Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust53Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust127Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust14Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust123Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust93Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust165South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust415Spire Leeds Hospital27Spire Southampton Hospital98St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust166Taunton And Somerset NHS Foundation Trust169The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust0The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust46The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust175University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust160University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust0University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust55University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust20University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust199Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust83Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust213Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust47York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust43England6,122 Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS DigitalNotesA finished consultant episode (FCE) is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. The number of episodes where the procedure (or intervention) was recorded in any of the 24 procedure fields in a HES record. A record is only included once in each count, even if the procedure is recorded in more than one procedure field of the record. Note that more procedures are carried out than episodes with a main or secondary procedure. For example, patients undergoing a ‘cataract operation’ would tend to have at least two procedures – removal of the faulty lens and the fitting of a new one – counted in a single episode. A provider code is a unique code that identifies an organisation acting as a health care provider (e.g. NHS Trust). Data from some independent sector providers, where the onus for arrangement of dataflows is on the commissioner, may be missing. Care must be taken when using these data as the counts may be lower than true figures.Small numbersTo protect patient confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been replaced with “*” (an asterisk). Where it was still possible to identify figures from the total, additional figures have been replaced with "*".

Doctors: Recruitment and Training

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department plans to take to recruit and train more doctors.

Mr Philip Dunne: On 4 October 2016 my Rt. hon Friend the Secretary of State announced that the number of medical training places available to students each year will be expanded to ensure the National Health Service has enough doctors to continue to provide safe, compassionate care in the future. From September 2018, the Government will fund up to 1,500 additional student places through medical schools each year.The ultimate responsibility for recruitment rests with NHS organisations as they are best placed to ensure they have the right staff, in the right place, at the right time to provide safe and effective care for their patients.

Craniosynostosis

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of NHS treatment of craniosynostosis; and if he will take steps to increase training and awareness of craniosynostosis amongst NHS professionals.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department has made no assessment of the effectiveness of National Health Service treatment of craniosynostosis. All paediatricians are trained to recognise abnormality as part of general training up to Membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (MRCPCH) level.

Health Services and Pharmacy: Productivity

Paula Sherriff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of relative levels of productivity in community pharmacy and secondary care in each year since 2005.

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of changes in productivity in community pharmacies in each year since 2005.

Paula Sherriff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of relative levels of productivity in community pharmacies and other primary care professions in each year since 2015.

David Mowat: We have made no assessment of productivity in community pharmacies.

Pharmacy: Finance

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to pharmacy funding on the availability of essential medicines.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of changes in pharmacy funding on waiting times for NHS prescriptions.

Craig Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed reductions in pharmacy funding on specific patient populations.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of proposed changes to pharmacy funding on the provision of supplementary hours beyond the core NHS contract.

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the likely effect on accident and emergency services of the proposed changes to the pharmacy funding formula.

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed changes to pharmacy funding on (a) patients accessing services distant from where they live and (b) working age adults who travel considerable distance to work.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of proposed changes to pharmacy funding on home delivery of NHS prescriptions.

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of proposed reductions in the level of community pharmacy funding on the adequacy of provision of pharmaceutical advice and reassurance to members of the public.

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of proposed reductions in the level of community pharmacy funding on the support available for frail and elderly people to live independently in their own homes.

Craig Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what forecast he has made of the effect of demographic changes on the level of requirement for the community pharmacy network over the next five years; what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in pharmacy funding on the ability of the community pharmacy network to meet that requirement; and what planning his Department has undertaken to ensure that the future level of requirement can be met.

David Mowat: The Government’s proposals for community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond, on which we have consulted, are being considered against the public sector equality duty, the family test and the relevant duties of my Rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, under the National Health Service Act 2006. Our assessments include consideration of the potential impacts on the adequate provision of NHS pharmaceutical services, including the supply of medicines, access to NHS pharmaceutical services, supplementary hours, non-commissioned services, individuals with protected characteristics, impacts on other NHS services, health inequalities, individuals with restricted mobility and access to healthcare for deprived communities. An impact assessment will be completed to inform final decisions and published in due course. Our proposals are about improving services for patients and the public and securing efficiencies and savings. We believe these efficiencies can be made within community pharmacy without compromising the quality of services or public access to them. Our aim is to ensure that those community pharmacies upon which people depend continue to thrive. We are consulting on the introduction of a Pharmacy Access Scheme, which will provide more NHS funds to certain pharmacies compared with others, considering factors such as location and the health needs of the local population. We want a clinically focussed community pharmacy service that is better integrated with primary care and public health in line with the Five Year Forward View. This will help relieve the pressure on general practitioners and accident and emergency departments, ensure better use of medicines and better patient outcomes, and contribute to delivering seven day health and care services. The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, Dr Keith Ridge has commissioned an independent review of community pharmacy clinical services. The review is being led by Richard Murray, Director of Policy at The King’s Fund. The final recommendations will be considered as part of the development of clinical and cost effective patient care by pharmacists and their teams. NHS England is also setting up a Pharmacy Integration Fund to support the development of clinical pharmacy practice in a wider range of primary care settings, resulting in a more integrated and effective NHS primary care patient pathway. The rollout of the additional 1,500 clinical pharmacists announced by NHS England will help to ease current pressures in general practice by working with patients who have long term conditions and others with multiple medications. Having a pharmacist on site will mean that patients who receive care from their general practice will be able to benefit from the expertise in medicines that these pharmacists provide.

Junior Doctors: Training

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the British Medical Association and the Royal Colleges on proposals to make junior doctors repay training costs if they leave the profession within five years.

Mr Philip Dunne: As announced by my Rt. hon Friend the Secretary of State on 4 October, the Government will run a public consultation in early 2017 on how medical graduates can provide a return on taxpayer investment through a minimum period service of four years in the National Health Service. All stakeholders will have an opportunity to input into policy development at this stage.

Infant Foods

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will issue a response to the report Scientific and factual? A review of breastmilk substitute advertising to healthcare professionals, published by the First Steps Nutrition Trust.

Nicola Blackwood: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to issue a response to the report, Scientific and Factual by First Steps Nutrition. The Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula (England) Regulations 2007 regulate the advertising of breast milk substitutes. These regulations are enforced by local authorities, who have been made aware of the report.

Palliative Care

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with the relevant departments in the devolved administrations on ensuring the maximisation of treatment for life limiting conditions under best practice across the UK.

David Mowat: There have been no recent discussions between the Department and the devolved administrations on ensuring the maximisation of treatment for life limiting conditions under best practice across the United Kingdom. Whilst the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) meets regularly with other UK CMOs to discuss issues of mutual interest, this issue has not been specifically raised.

Prime Minister

Apprentices

Peter Kyle: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2016 to Question 46313, if she will appoint a new Apprenticeships Adviser by the end of 2016.

Mrs Theresa May: I have nothing further to add.